FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews
NADIA KAMIL A funny and literate assault on oppression ●●●●●
Wide Open Beavers! is a surprise from minute one. Whether you’re expecting a rodent dissection or a peek at lady parts, the reality is far from either, and far better. One of a deluge of young women seeking to reclaim, redefine and defend feminism from its detractors as being outdated, unfunny or (in many of its current guises) ironic, Kamil espouses an unabashed and literate response to the ongoing tragedy of female oppression. Featuring an arsenal of references including burlesque, victim-
blaming, gender stereotyping and Georgia O’Keeffe, with a military strategy honed using contemporary gender theory, and a quiver full of comedy talent, she presents a two-pronged attack: feminism and whimsy (shall we call it feminimsy? Perhaps not). Kamil brings together the kind of unapologetic political rants one expects of Mark Thomas, but with a sweet and cuddly kookiness that can all-too-easily be dismissed as ‘girly’. The two are presented as opposites, the whimsy included to counteract the seriousness of the feminist message. What cleverly emerges is the crossover between the two prongs with the best segments combining both. During the mental assault of Kamil’s whirlwind show, she collapses the dichotomy, demonstrating how feminist jokes can be farcical, whimsical material can be subversive and have political bite, and that both approaches needn’t be one thing and not the other.
The show relies on the element of surprise so, without revealing too much, expect a comedy onslaught that doesn’t let up for a moment. Between the inventive audience interaction, a brilliant rapport with her sound tech and the astounding musical numbers, the 60 minutes feel more like 20. Kamil gives a face and a voice (a Welsh-Iraqi one, another dichotomy) to contemporary feminism. (Suzanne Black) ■ The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 25 Aug (not 12), 3.30pm, £7 (£6).
DOES MY FACE LOOK BIG IN THIS? Boundless energy buoys character show ●●●●●
Caroline Hardie’s show is all about the daily grind and what you can try to do in order to fend off its creeping drudgery. Given the vast amount of clothes she flings around during the hour in a desperate attempt to try and find something to wear (a frantic search for appropriate interview clobber is one of the highlights of Does My Face Look Big in This?), laundry might well be one of her regular August pursuits.
She dips in and out of characters, alternately playing at being herself (or more likely portraying a slightly exaggerated version) while also giving us a portraits of others, including the Queen as you have never seen her before and a forthright Australian orthodox feminist comedian.
Hardie has a seemingly bottomless pit of energy reserves to draw upon and it’s this resource, rather than great writing, which keeps her and the show afloat. It also features a climactic reference – one of two so far this Fringe – to Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth Song’ video. Curious. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug (not 19), 1.40pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8).
36 THE LIST FESTIVAL 8–15 Aug 2013
TONY JAMESON A football show of two unequal halves ●●●●● CATRIONA KNOX Boom Jennie becomes a genuine player ●●●●●
You don’t have to have played Football Manager nor be a fan of the Beautful Game to enjoy Tony Jameson’s show, but it most definitely helps. For the uninitiated, Jameson carefully explains the ups and downs of the enormously popular game series before detailing exactly how it has variously enriched and destroyed his life.
Establishing from the off that much of his audience are already converts to the cause, Jameson thrives on the atmosphere generated by a like-minded crowd. Some of his references may leave pockets of the room cold but he tries hard to make his material as inclusive as possible. Even if you haven’t the faintest clue who Emile Heskey is, by the end of the hour you’ll certainly be in no doubt as to just why Jameson finds him quite so annoying, thanks to an expert manipulation of the player’s career statistics. Things do peter out towards the end, though,
and Jameson struggles to definitively wrap things up. But he’s a charming performer with enthusiasm and energy to spare. (Murray Robertson) ■ The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 25 Aug (not 12), 2.20pm, £7 (£6).
This was very close to being a peerless character show from someone who has clearly been working hard on her craft, but it’s only let down by a rather weak finale. One third of the Boom Jennies, Catriona Knox is revelling in her solo status with a couple of Fringe hours behind her now. This multi-character set, Player, thrives on fine writing and a fantastic performance, while Knox is not afraid to mix it with her crowd when the occasion arises. Opening with a horsey woman bellowing down her mobile at various lackeys, she moves on to perhaps her sharpest creation: the pub landlady whispering mortal vengeance upon a Judas within the room (it literally becomes a lock-in). A bonneted Jane Austen-type throws out some well-constructed vulgarities and a desperate French oral examiner lets her mask drop.
The only bum note is the closing number where her Latin Strictly-type simply dances and dances and dances with the man who has been the chosen one for all her interactive requirements today. But that mild letdown aside, Knox has picked her show title well. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug (not 13), 3.15pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9).
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